Jacqueline B. Vaughn Occupational High School is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

four-year

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

located in the Portage Park neighborhood on the north–west side of

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States. Opened in 1968, The school is named for Chicago public schools special education teacher and

Chicago Teachers Union The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is a labor union that represents teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians in the Chicago public school system. The union has advocated for improved pay, benefits, and job security for its members, and it has ...

president Jacqueline B. Vaughn (1935–1994). The school is a part of the

Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the List of the largest school districts in the United States by enrollment, fourth-large ...

. The school serves students with disabilities in grade levels 9 through 12.

Academics

Vaughn Occupational High School has received an average review of 3 out of 5 based on feedback from the community submitted on GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site.

Curriculum

In addition to serving grades 9 thru 12, students have the option to continue their education at the school until reaching 22 years of age. Vaughn offers a rigorous, future focused program for students with Intellectual Disabilities. It teaches academics along with crucial life, occupational, and social skills through differentiated, hands-on, technology-rich instruction combined with frequent community based learning.

History

Vaughn Occupational High School opened in during the 1968–1969 school year as Occupational Center C, one of three new occupational high schools created by the

Chicago Board of Education The Chicago Board of Education serves as the board of education (school board) for the Chicago Public Schools. The board traces its origins to the Board of School Inspectors, created in 1837. The board is currently made up of 11 members appoin ...

. The school's first location was in the Logan Square neighborhood at 2508 North Maplewood Avenue. In June 1975, The Board of Education renamed the school Orlando W. Wilson Occupational High School after Chicago Police commissioner

O. W. Wilson Orlando Winfield Wilson (May 15, 1900 – October 18, 1972), also known as O. W. Wilson, was an American police officer, later becoming a leader in policing along with authoring several books on policing. Wilson served as Superintendent of the Ch ...

who had passed three years prior. The school relocated to the

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

neighborhood on the north side at 4626 North Knox Avenue, sharing the campus with Mayfair Junior College in 1978. During the 1981–1982 school year, the school was moved again to the Jefferson Park neighborhood; occupying Beaubien Elementary School's third floor. By 1988, Enrollment grew at the school which caused overcrowding. In 1992, the school moved into its present location donated by The

Illinois Bell Telephone Company Illinois Bell Telephone Company, LLC is the Bell Operating Company serving Illinois. It is owned by AT&T through AT&T Teleholdings, formerly Ameritech. Their headquarters are at 225 West Randolph St., Chicago, IL. After the 1984 Bell System Div ...

to the Chicago Public Schools. The school was renamed after Jacqueline Barbra Vaughn by the Chicago Board of Education on April 1, 1993.

References

External links

* {{authority control Public high schools in Chicago Special schools in Illinois Educational institutions established in 1968 1968 establishments in Illinois